Keeping up with Healthy Eating, for New Parents!

One of the many facts of new parenthood almost no one seems to mention is the challenge of feeding yourself.

Being a new parent is a 24/7 job. Me and my husband often barely get time to sit and talk anymore, let alone think about meal prepping, cooking, or even going out to pick up groceries or takeout. These overwhelming demands can easily let your own health needs fall by the wayside.

I thought to share some habits, so you don’t make the same mistakes as me.

Buy prewashed salad mixes or bags of pre-chopped veggies.

Prepare meals in bulk and freeze them – for example, casseroles and soups.

Use frozen vegetables when you don’t have time to prepare fresh vegetables.

Keep your fruit basket full.

Have yogurt, nuts, vegetable sticks, and hummus on hand for healthy snacks during the day.

Make meals that can be eaten hot or cold – for example, poha/daliya

You can also pack these into containers for outings.

Here are some quick meal ideas that I personally found yummy and healthy:

To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.

In a large serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and parsley. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.

Once the quinoa is mostly cool, add it to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season with black pepper, to taste, and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary. For best flavor, let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.